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Topic: Disappointing pies tonight (Read 19201 times)

I get the idea of convection generally, but won't I lose too much of the heat from the IR burner that I am trying to trap? The heat here is not coming just from the bottom, so if it goes right out the top, it won't have gone past the pizza.

I am trying a roughly 60/40 bland of AT and KABF tonight. I did not have any AP on hand. I balled the dough about 8 hrs before bake time.

I am a little worries the dough will be dried out. Fermentation caused the lid to blow off the Tupperware and the dough developed a pretty good skin on it. I was too busy to check on them yesterday. When I balled it, the dried skin got turned inside the dough ball. I am not sure what effect that will have.

I liked it. It was a unique pie and a good flavor combo. I continued to struggle with stretching the re-balled dough - even though I cut the protein % down some. While I love the structure I get from the re-balled dough, I am not sure it is worth the hassles of trying to stretch it. I ended up with a thin spot that tore on the stone and then I couldn't get it turned and ended up with a burned bottom, etc. I think I am going to go back to balling after mixing. I am still struggling with the stone temps on the grill too. I think I really need that thicker stone.

I liked it. It was a unique pie and a good flavor combo. I continued to struggle with stretching the re-balled dough - even though I cut the protein % down some. While I love the structure I get from the re-balled dough, I am not sure it is worth the hassles of trying to stretch it. I ended up with a thin spot that tore on the stone and then I couldn't get it turned and ended up with a burned bottom, etc. I think I am going to go back to balling after mixing. I am still struggling with the stone temps on the grill too. I think I really need that thicker stone.

If I understood Fazarri's thread correctly (50/50 chance) he experimented and detrmined that bulk fermenting and multiple re-balls were less important to oven spring and structure than was the time the dough was balled relative to baking. He mixed, divided the dough and put it into containers, but did not first ball the dough until 8-9 hrs before baking. That is what I had tried to do.

If I understood Fazarri's thread correctly (50/50 chance) he experimented and detrmined that bulk fermenting and multiple re-balls were less important to oven spring and structure than was the time the dough was balled relative to baking. He mixed, divided the dough and put it into containers, but did not first ball the dough until 8-9 hrs before baking. That is what I had tried to do.

Steve, John does a lot of experimenting and is very gracious with his contributions here...if you followed his lead but experienced different results then all I can suggest is to go back and make sure you followed correctly. One thing that comes to mind and may or may not help here is that I do know he usually is working with a different style of pizza than what it looks like you are doing. Also, you didn't really give me the parameters as to what he did with the divided dough after mixing. Never the less, give the 3 hr. bulk then balled for 24 if you will...this seems very straight forward and gives good results. What type of yeast are you working with btw.

this is all rule of thumb. Different RT and atmospheric conditions will give you differing results. Don't be tied into a particular time. Look at the dough. Leave it on the counter to BF until doubled, then ball it tight and toss it in the fridge until you are ready to use it. If it's overflowing the container even in the fridge, reball it. Wrestle that monkey down, and make a note to use less yeast / starter next time.

When it's -2:00 from GO TIME, bring it out. If your environment is 85 degrees or up, you may have to shorten that. If not, and this time of year, it shouldn't be unless you live in a sauna, you will be looking at 70 or so RT. If the kitchen is hot from preheating the oven, put it in some other room. Be gentle on stretching - let it rest a little during the process if it needs it. Too much effort is... too much.

this is all rule of thumb. Different RT and atmospheric conditions will give you differing results. Don't be tied into a particular time. Look at the dough. Leave it on the counter to BF until doubled, then ball it tight and toss it in the fridge until you are ready to use it. If it's overflowing the container even in the fridge, reball it. Wrestle that monkey down, and make a note to use less yeast / starter next time.

When it's -2:00 from GO TIME, bring it out. If your environment is 85 degrees or up, you may have to shorten that. If not, and this time of year, it shouldn't be unless you live in a sauna, you will be looking at 70 or so RT. If the kitchen is hot from preheating the oven, put it in some other room. Be gentle on stretching - let it rest a little during the process if it needs it. Too much effort is... too much.

Had some improvement in my crusts the last couple of weeks which I attribute to two things:

1) The new stone. 3/4" cordierite kiln shelf. Definitely seems to be holding and giving back more heat and had given a better crust.

2) I switched from dusting with 50/50 flour & semolina, to dusting with straight semolina. To me, it seems the lack of residual flour had helped the crust brown better, gives a better flavor, and gives a bit more crunch to the crust.

I hear Santa skips the homes of little boys who don't eat their pizza bones...

We know the easter bunny doesn't care. He stopped by last night. My wife left a plate of half chewed carrots on the table for the kids to see. I threw some raisins on the floor just under the plate. My wife didnt seem to find that as funny as I did.

We know the easter bunny doesn't care. He stopped by last night. My wife left a plate of half chewed carrots on the table for the kids to see. I threw some raisins on the floor just under the plate. My wife didnt seem to find that as funny as I did.

I think that is extremely funny! Does she leave her pizza bones too?....